Teachers, nurses working extra hard to keep students healthy amid flu season

LIVINGSTON PARISH - Health officials say it's been one of the worst flu seasons in recent memory, and it’s hitting schools hard. Teachers are forced to take extra precautionary measures to make sure their students stay healthy.

At Doyle Elementary in Livingston Parish, a child is out sick with the flu everyday. On Tuesday, four kids came down with the symptoms. Like many schools everywhere, staff are focusing on one thing: sanitation.

“Some of the teachers have their students wipe their desks down between classes and especially at the end of the day,” said School Nurse Coordinator for Livingston Public Schools, Jennifer Wilkinson.

Fifth graders are putting down their pencils, grabbing the Clorox wipes, and passing around hand sanitizer.

“Any place that you have people in close contact it's much easier for things to get passed around,” explained Wilkinson.

Teachers and nurses are emphasizing to students the importance of washing their hands and covering their mouths when coughing.

“Especially coughing,” said Wilkinson.

If a student comes down with the sickness, Wilkinson said “we do have masks that we place on the student and they're quarantined until we get them home.”

It's an effort the district says is necessary. Students and teachers have been calling in sick since September.

“It has gotten worse over the past month and they're expecting it to continue at least for the next two weeks,” said Wilkinson.

If a student comes down with the flu, the district does require the student to stay home until they are fever free for 24 hours.